Gone Batty: The Beginning

"Do not swear by the moon, for she changes constantly.

Then your love would also change."

-William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet

Chapter 2: The Price of Love

Much to Nocturna's annoyance, Loki did return the following night.

She was weaving a star knit constellation using nothing but a glossy spider's silk and her claws. She looked up at him with a heavy frown as he landed on a nearby stone. "I believe that I have told you not to return."

"Yes, as a matter of fact, you did," Loki said.

Nocturna stopped weaving and placed down her work. "Tell me Loki, are you thick in the head or did you believe that I wasn't being serious?"

Loki smiled charmingly, "Nah, I'm quite confident that I'm clever and I don't believe that you would lie to me."

Nocturna stood up and her divine aura flared. A normal bat would have backed off instantly. Loki was no normal bat. "I gave you a warning and you ignored it. I am not above punishing you for your insolence. My lagoon is off limits."

"Can you blame me?" Loki took a step closer and didn't even flinch when Nocturna narrowed her eyes. "My heart led me back to you."

"Then you can follow your brain back out of here."

"Do you really want me to leave? Don't you get lonely here all by yourself night after night?"

Nocturna looked away and her aura faded back to normal, "I have the moon and stars for company."

"Really?" Loki looked up at the moon and waved at it with his wing before shouting, "Hello there moon! How does Earth look from up there?" The moon did not answer and Loki turned to an unamused Nocturna with a shrug. "I don't know about you, but the sky is a lousy conversationalist."

"Perhaps, but it is a good listener, unlike someone…"

"What?" Loki laughed and flew around Nocturna before hanging upside down from a vine, right in front of her. "I can listen! I can talk and listen. I can talk, joke and listen and so much more!" He gave her a goofy smile. "Can your moon and stars do that?"

Nocturna glared at him coldly.

"Look, I never felt like this before," Loki decided to resort to pleading. "Can you at least give me a chance? Honestly, how much harm can this…" He motioned between himself and Nocturna with his hand, "-cause?"

"There is no…" Nocturna mimicked Loki's motion, "this."

He stuck out his bottom lip in a playful pout.

"Besides, any relationship between a god and a mortal is a disastrous one- particularly for the mortal. So you can take these feelings of yours and give them to someone else."

"There is no one else," Loki insisted. "Besides, you're not giving me enough credit. Give us a chance. Maybe this won't go as badly as you think?"

"Loki, I'm warning you…" Nocturna growled. "My patience does have its limits. Find yours." She started to walk away.

"True love doesn't have limits," He argued, climbing the vines after her.

"You don't even know me."

"And you don't know me. Let's get to know each other."

Nocturna stopped in her tracks and Loki looked at her hopefully. She slowly turned around and lifted her elegant claw. He watched, entranced as she lightly touched his nose. "I think I know you well enough already." She turned around again and walked towards the wild roses to tend to them. "Goodbye, Loki."

Loki called out to her, "Wait! I-" …

Something was wrong with his voice. It was high pitched and rather...buzzing. Loki blinked in confusion and looked down at his hands. Instead of seeing his wings he saw dark stick-like legs. Six of them. 'Well, won't you look at that?' Loki mused as he checked himself out. He tested out his translucent wings and they buzzed in response. 'She actually took my idea and turned me into a fly.' He chuckled to himself and looked over to Nocturna, whose back was still turned to him.

Honestly, she did him a favor. In this form, his colony would certainly not recognize him. Sure the life of a fly was a pitiful one, but it was still better than having to marry Helena. But if Nocturna believed that this was enough to get rid of him… ohhh, she had another thing coming. If there was one thing that Loki was proud of, it was his persistence.

Using his new and strange wings, Loki clumsily buzzed over to Nocturna and flew around her head. "You know, even from this perspective, you're still divinely beautiful."

Nocturna scowled and tried to wave him away. "And you are still annoying. Go away and stop bothering me."

He landed on her snout and gazed into her starry eyes. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's dream?"

The goddess narrowed her eyes at him, "No."

"Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and summer's lease hath all too short a date."

Nocturna puffed Loki away with her breath. She cupped her hands in the lagoon and watered the wild roses with care. "You know what else is too short? Your life. Flies live no longer than one month if they are lucky."

Her ear twitched when Loki buzzed lovingly into it. "Then I shall make the most of it. Spending my final moments with you would be sweeter than living a full lifetime without you."

Nocturna's eyes widened and her everlasting heart skipped a beat. These sorts of words were ones that she couldn't even dare to dream of hearing and yet… here he was, baring his heart and soul to her like she was the only thing worth living for. He was willing to die just to be with her. Her eyes lowered sadly, "You are a fool, Loki Silverwing."

And so the days and nights passed and never once did Loki leave Nocturna's side. He sang to her, composed poetry, told her anecdotes about his life, showered her with compliments and spoke of his love for her restlessly. And every night, Nocturna felt her heart weaken its resolve to stay unfeeling. At first she ignored him and pretended that he did not exist, as much as one could ignore a stubborn fly. Yet she found herself engrossed in his stories. When ignoring him wasn't working, she tried to threaten him into leaving. This only caused his words to become more honeyed and romantic.

Half a month passed and Nocturna began to warm up to Loki. She smiled when he spoke of his adventures, laughed when he told her a particularly clever joke, and blushed when he flirted with her. She even began to share stories of her own… how she brought about the night by spreading her wings over the sky and the dreams that she wove.

Loki only fell deeper in love and as for Nocturna, she began to let down her defences. Without her realizing it, Loki had wormed himself into her heart and made it his home. It was natural for them to lose track of time.

Loki began to lose his energy and no longer flew around as much, choosing to rest on her shoulder or in her hair. His voice grew soft and tired, but he never stopped letting Nocturna know how much he loved her.

This concerned the goddess. "Loki, is everything alright?" She asked him one night when he rested in her hand. "You've been rather quiet lately."

"I am alright, love." He said quietly, almost as a sigh. "Just feeling a bit tired is all."

Nocturna frowned down at him, seeing his wings droop. Something was terribly wrong, she felt it. She looked up at the moon and her eyes widened in realization. The month was practically up and Loki was dying! "Oh Loki…" she whispered, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Loki smiled as much as a fly could smile. "I didn't want our final days being spent with you worrying about me. I want to see you smile and hear your laughter. I want you to be happy-" He cut himself off when he saw stars falling out of Nocturna's eyes, her face twisted in sorrow. "Nocturna, my beloved… please don't cry. My heart breaks to see you cry."

"Why did you not listen to me?" She lamented with such grief that Loki felt his insides clench in pain. "I told you to not fall in love with me. I told you to stay away, now look at what you have done! How could you be so cruel?!"

"Cruel?" Loki asked with confusion, "Darling, I don't understand. How is my love cruel?"

"You will die and leave me alone once again!" Nocturna fell to her knees in sorrow and her head bowed over him. "It was fine before… I enjoyed my solitude. But then you came along and changed it all. Now I'm terrified of going back to that!" She looked at him tearfully, "I am a goddess, Loki. I am immortal. I will live forever and you will not. I will be forced to spend eternity continuing to love you alone."

It was then that Loki understood the true reason why Nocturna tried to chase him away. She was scared of falling in love only to have that love be torn away- and he felt awful. His pursuit of her affections was indeed cruel. She had originally said that it was often the mortal who ended up having the short end of the stick in the relationship. The truth was… it was the other way around.

"Forgive me," He pleaded sincerely. "I didn't realize the pain that I was causing you. Yet… I can't bring myself to regret loving you. I can't and I won't. Death won't stop me from loving you. So, if this is our final farewell…"

"It isn't."

"What?"

Nocturna let out a shaky sigh and smiled at him through her crystalline tears. "It's not over yet, Loki." A teardrop landed on him and his body began to glow. He grew and grew until Loki stood before Nocturna in his original form- young and healthy.

Loki gasped and looked himself over, patting his body down as if to check he wasn't dreaming.

"You still have the rest of your life to live," Nocturna said, beaming. "With me if you'd like."

Loki's jaw dropped. He didn't think that he'd live to see this day. "Nocturna, are you saying… that you want me? You love me?"

Nocturna gave him a weak laugh, "I love you."

Loki was upon her in an instant, his lips locked onto hers. Nocturna returned the kiss, deepening it by tilting her head. Loki practically melted against her as he held her in his wings. He had kissed many girls when he was fooling around in his adolescence. Yet he had never experienced a kiss as magical as this one. His soul swelled like a balloon until it felt he'd simply float away if he didn't hold onto Nocturna.

They reluctantly broke apart and gazed lovingly into each other's eyes. "I love you too, though you already know that. Are you tired of hearing me say it so much?" Loki asked.

Nocturna raised her eyebrows, "What? You think that was enough to satisfy a goddess?"

Loki smirked, "How silly of me. What was I thinking?" He leaned in to press another kiss to her mouth. "I love you." And another. "I love you." And another. "I love you."

Nocturna smiled though the kisses, a stray starry tear escaping down her cheek. Loki caught it with his thumb and was surprised to notice that it was solid and warm. He looked down at the ground to see there were many more, glazing the grass like frost. Nocturna leaned down and he followed down after, watching as she scooped up the tears into the palm of her hands. She then dunk her hands into the lagoon, mixing the water into the stars.

Loki looked at her curiously and Nocturna covered it with her hands. "Tears of a goddess have great power," she told him. Shimmering blue light began to illuminate from between her fingers. "It's best to be careful with it." The light faded and she opened her hands. Lying in them was a crescent moon amulet with a starry blue gem in the middle. Coming off the end was a long silver chain. "But it might come handy one day."

Nocturna was about to put it on when Loki stopped her. "Allow me?" They stood up and he gently took the trinket when she gave it to him. He stretched it over her head and let it rest upon her chest. Loki smiled warmly at her. "You are beautiful." His smile faded slightly and concern showed through his eyes, "But is this alright? Me staying with you? Like you said, one day… I'll…"

Nocturna placed her fingers over his lips, stopping him from speaking further. "Yes, one day… So let's make the most of what we have now."

Loki smiled and caressed her face. "In that case, love- let's make this official. Will you marry me?"

Nocturna nodded and cupped his face in her hands, bringing him closer to her. "Yes."

And with that they sealed it with a kiss.

They married that very night in the light of the full moon. The stars shot across the sky in celebration of their union.

Seasons passed and Loki never once heard from his colony again. He even kept away from his best friend, Sage... for Nocturna had warned him not to let anyone learn of their marriage. When he had asked why, Nocturna only looked deeply saddened.

"If word gets out, it could put us in grave danger."

"Danger? What danger could we possibly be in?" Loki laughed. "What do you, Nocturna- the goddess of the night have to fear?"

Nocturna met his eyes with a grim expression and his laughter died down.

"Nocturna?" Loki tried again, more seriously this time.

"It's not 'what' but who." Nocturna sighed and she sat down by the water, staring down at it sadly. "My older twin brother, Cama Zotz detests mortals."

"Cama Zotz?" Loki repeated in confusion. He had never heard the name before. "You have a brother?" He scratched the back of his head, "Man, the elders certainly never mentioned this in their stories."

Nocturna nodded, "He is the god of death. My brother lives in the far reaches of the south while I live here in the north. If he were to find out that… that…" The goddess swallowed heavily and she clasped her shaking hands together.

Loki instantly was by her side, holding her hands in his. "That we're...together," he finished for her. "You're frightened for me."

Nocturna leaned her head against his shoulder, "Yes. But there's something else that worries me more if he found out."

"What's that?"

Nocturna took Loki's hand in hers and placed it over her stomach.

Loki stared down at their hands in confusion before his head shot up, staring at his mate with wide eyes. "Are you…? Are we…?"

Nocturna gave a small giggle and she nodded. "I'm pregnant."

Pure joy lit up Loki's face and he gave a surprised laugh. His laughter grew and he lifted his wife into the air, spinning her around. They laughed together and Loki placed her back on the ground before kissing her deeply. Then when he pulled away, he began to shower her face with kisses, causing her to giggle.

"Loki, stop, you're overreacting!" Nocturna laughed.

"Overreacting?" Loki cried incredulously. "I'm going to be a father!" He stopped, then thought about it for a moment. "A father…" He dropped to the ground and smacked his palm over his head as it sank in. "A father… me?"

Nocturna looked amused, "Is there a problem?"

"No! No… It's just… This sort of thing never crossed my mind before." He looked up at her, panicked. "What if they don't like me? Wh-what if I mess this up?"

Nocturna rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, she's going to love you."

"She?!" Loki's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "We're having a girl?!"

Nocturna blinked when Loki fell into a dead faint with a giant grin on his face.

A couple moons passed and Nocturna only grew lovelier by the night. She never gave any sign of pregnancy and her belly never grew- an illusion created as a precaution to keep their daughter a secret. Loki fussed over her like a doting husband would. He brought her gifts and food, despite her not needing to eat. But he insisted.

"Our daughter is half mortal. You need to eat."

Nocturna humored him and ate what he brought her, if only to soothe his nerves.

Then one particular night… the air grew heavy and uncomfortably oppressive. Nocturna looked up at the sky in alarm, as if the stars were calling down to her in warning. The creatures of the night also seemed to sense that something was amiss for they grew silent and not a single leaf stirred.

"Is something wrong, love?" Loki asked her, noticing her rigidness.

She didn't answer. Her ears twitched, as if listening to something. Her eyes grew round and she turned to Loki with such terror that Loki couldn't help but feel scared himself. "You must hide."

"Hide?" Loki blinked, "Nocturna, what is going on?"

"You must go, now! My brother is coming."

Loki's eyes widened, "And leave you alone with him? Baby, I don't think-"

"Don't underestimate me, Loki Silverwing," Nocturna glared at him. "I am still a goddess and I can hold my own against my brother. But I can't worry about protecting you when I'm protecting our child. Now go!"

Loki hesitated, looking torn between doing what Nocturna said and staying with her. But realizing that he could do nothing in this situation, he turned and flew to hide in a tree knothole. He would hide… but he wouldn't leave.

The autumn wind picked up and began to blow furiously. Nocturna stood there stone faced as her dark hair was tossed about wildly. Her wings were crossed over her chest as she watched the horizon. She didn't even flinch when the leaves and sticks flew past her- her holy aura keeping herself from being touched.

Loki watched from his hiding spot and he winced when the sun suddenly rose from the horizon, blinding him temporarily. From the rising sun came a dark silhouette flying closer and closer. Eventually it was close enough to make out the shape of a giant bat. Loki gasped. It was the largest bat he had seen in his entire life!

It was Cama Zotz.

Nocturna watched coldly as Zotz landed before her, his red hair blazing like fire. His godly aura enveloped his body with great power. His eyes were bright yellow with red pupils. His jaw was thick and filled with yellowed sharp teeth. His body was big and well muscled. His black wings folded around him like a massive cape.

He grinned, "Nocturna, dear sister. It has been such a long time."

"Indeed it has," She agreed but she did not share the same enthusiasm as he did. "But I did not expect to see you until the next solar eclipse."

"Why wait when I can see you now?" Zotz walked closer to her only for her to step back away. He stopped and frowned. "Still mad at me, I see..."

"I have nothing to say to you," Nocturna narrowed her eyes at him. "After all the atrocities you have committed against mankind, your presence isn't welcomed here."

"Ugh, you are so dull, Nocturna, really." Zotz rolled his eyes. "It was all in good fun. If humans don't use their heads in their daily lives then why should they need them at all?"

"They need their heads just like they need their hearts!" Nocturna snapped. "You have never tolerated those who are different from you, so you wreak havoc on them!"

"Hmm… speaking of those who are different, there is something different about you." Zotz approached her closer, scrutinizing her with his molten eyes. He circled around her, taking in every inch of her. Nocturna stood still and stiff. "I can't quite name what it is…" He stood behind her and placed his hands over her shoulders. He leaned down next to her ear. "Is it your hair?" He pressed his nose into it and breathed in.

Fury raged through Loki but he kept a hold of himself. Zotz was acting a little too… intimate for a sibling.

"No, it's not your hair." Zotz muttered with a low growl. "But you do smell different. You smell partially… mortal."

Nocturna pulled herself away from her brother and glared at him angrily. "Do you not understand the concept of personal space?!"

Zotz frowned in suspicion. "You never minded before…"

"Yes, well… times change. I changed."

"Gods don't change." His eyes lowered to catch the sight of her necklace. "And what is this?" He reached out to touch it but Nocturna slapped his hand away.

Fear flickered in Nocturna's eyes. The tone of Zotz's voice had become dangerous and he was looking at her with accusation. He stepped forward and she stepped back. "I think that you have overstayed your welcome, Zotz…" Nocturna hissed.

"What are you keeping from me, sister?" Zotz ignored her and continued to move closer. "You know that we don't keep secrets from each other. You are my half just like I am yours. We are one and the same..."

"I am nothing like you!" Nocturna bared her teeth at him. Her blue aura began to flare up aggressively, causing her hair to float around her.

Zotz smirked and his own golden aura began to grow in retaliation. "Oh, is this how it's going to be?" He flexed his claws.

Loki could no longer stay silent. He flew out of the tree and intercepted between Zotz and Nocturna, his wings spread out in order to defend her. "That is enough!" he bellowed angrily. "Come any closer and I'll bite your wings off!"

Zotz's aura practically dissipated in a puff of smoke from the shock. He stared down in disbelief at the small mortal silverwing.

"Loki!" Nocturna gasped in horror.

Zotz gave a breathy scoff and looked up at Nocturna. "And what is this? A little snack?"

"Loki, get out of here," Nocturna demanded, her eyes moving between the two worriedly.

"No, no… let him stay," Zotz argued and he leaned down, stroking his pointed red beard. He stared at Loki with curiosity. "It's been a while since I spoke to a mortal face to face. Tell me, little one, what business do you have with my sister?"

"My business is none of yours," Loki growled.

"Hmm… plucky," Zotz grinned and poked Loki in the forehead, causing the bat to fall over backwards. "Such foolish bravery in the face of a mighty god such as myself."

"Leave him alone, Zotz." Nocturna stepped forward challengingly. "He is none of your concern."

"It concerns me that it concerns you," Zotz lifted his eyes to meet with hers. "What are you hiding?" Then his eyes widened and he grabbed Loki by the scruff of his mane.

"Don't!" Nocturna shouted.

Loki winced as Zotz sniffed at him and grunted when the god tossed him to the ground with disgust.

Zotz stood over him, enraged. "What sick game have you been playing, Nocturna?" He demanded, eyes flashing red. "What have you done?!"

Nocturna's face smoothed out into calm indifference. There was no point in hiding it anymore. Zotz knew.

"You have mated with this mortal scum?! How could you do something so mind bogglingly ludicrous?!" Zotz practically screamed. His aura practically turned into flames. "You have tainted yourself, Nocturna! You have changed!" The foliage around them began to catch fire and Loki scrambled away backwards. "You carry an abomination inside you!"

"This so called 'abomination' is your unborn niece." Nocturna replied quietly, shielding Loki with her wing from the flames. "And this change could be good for us. To live everyday the same as we did since the moment we appeared in existance… do you not grow tired of it, brother?"

"NO!" Zotz slashed the air with his hand. "I am what I am! I AM CAMA ZOTZ! THE TERROR AND BRINGER OF DEATH! AND YOU- SISTER… HAVE LOWERED YOURSELF TO THE LEVEL OF THESE EARTHWORMS!"

Nocturna narrowed her eyes, "Your anger clouds your judgement."

"MY JUDGEMENT IS CLEAR!" Zotz bellowed. "YOUR ACTIONS GO AGAINST THE VERY ORDER OF NATURE!"

"She will not be the first demigoddess to appear in this world. The Greeks-"

"ARE FOOLS!" The enraged god sent spittle flying from his mouth. "AND YOU ARE NO BETTER!" He charged at them, claws outstretched and fangs bared.

Anger flashed in Nocturna's eyes and she flew in front of Loki. Her eyes began to glow white as did the underside of her wings. With one powerful swoop, she sent Zotz flying backwards with an ultrasonic wave, snuffing out the fire in the process. Her brother went crashing to the earth and he slowly pulled himself back up. A crack appeared in his skull, shining blue with the power that Nocturna hit him with. Zotz hissed in pain, "Sister…"

"Do not call me that," Nocturna demanded as she flew in place, her hair flowing majestically around her and her eyes aglow. "Never call me that again. You are no brother of mine." She landed back on the ground and stared him down with such power that Loki had never witnessed her using before. "Leave before I chase you away myself."

Zotz glared back at her hatefully. "Very well, Nocturna… as you wish." He stood up and winced as the crack in his head spread further. He covered it with his hand and breathed heavily. "I will leave. But this isn't over. Enjoy your precious time with your little family. You won't have them for long. Maybe then you'll come back to your senses."

Zotz's body sizzled and faded into smoke. He was gone.

A/N: Well there you have it.